BJP leader Suvendu's aide sent to police custody till June 12

Kolkata: A close aide of BJP MLA Suvedu Adhikari, Rakhal Bera, who was arrested from Manicktala in the Eastern Sub-urban part of Kolkata for allegedly duping a youth with a fake job promise in the state Irrigation and Waterways department was sent to police custody till June 12.

Police arrested Adhikari's right-hand man Rakhal Bera on Saturday night while another FIR named accused Chanchal Bera is still at large. Rakhal was remanded in police custody till June 12 after being produced before the Sealdah Court on Sunday.

When the city police arrested the close aide of Adhikari based on a complaint lodged with Manicktala police station for running a fake job racket, an FIR was lodged against Adhikari and his brother Soumendu at Contai police station in connection with a case of tarpaulin theft from the storeroom of Contai Municipality. CAPF jawans, who were deployed for Adhikari's security, have been summoned for questioning in this connection as their involvement in the nexus has been alleged.

Rakhal was arrested based on a complaint lodged by one Sujit Dey, a resident of Ashoknagar Kalyangarh in North 24-Parganas, alleging that he was duped by him and his associate Chanchal after taking Rs 2 lakh to help him get a "Group-D" job in the state Irrigation and Waterways department, whose the then Minister was none other than Adhikari.

Based on Sujit's written complaint, Manicktala Police Station under the Eastern Suburban Division of the Kolkata Police initiated a case after lodging an FIR (number 28) against "Rakhal, Chanchal and others" under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on charges of criminal conspiracy (section 120B IPC), cheating (section 420 IPC), forgery of valuable security, will, etc (section 467 IPC), forgery for cheating (section 468 IPC) and using as genuine a forged document or electronic record (section 471 IPC).

The modus operandi of the alleged crime as stated in the FIR is that "the accused had fetched a criminal conspiracy and undertaken a campaign sometime between July and September in 2019 to woo government job aspirants at flat 24 Block 2 of Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics Co-operative Housing Society". Receiving the information, Sujit – being a graduate and a government job aspirant - went to the place in August 2019.

The duo showed him some documents and easily convinced him that they were authorised to recruit people in Group-D posts in the department.

They asked him to write an application addressed to the then Irrigation minister seeking the job and also took a copy of his bio-data. The complainant also paid a sum of Rs 2 lakh to the accused persons, against which he was provided with some forged documents along with an assurance of getting the job soon. But they have not provided any jobs and misappropriated the entire money.

The investigation further revealed that Rakhal runs a publishing business and is also suspected to have an investment in the hospitality industry in Digha. Rakhal and Chanchal both were original residents of Contai. But at present Rakhal stays in a flat in the eastern suburban part of the city. Being the right-hand man of Adhikari, police also came to know about his link with Contai Co-operative Bank.

The police has got hold of some WhatsApp chats in this connection and is also probing to find out the money trail as there was an allegation that the duo had collected money from a large number of unemployed youths.

Rakhal's arrest, however, also took a political turn as well with his counsel Kallol Das alleged that his client's arrest was an outcome of political vendetta and he was arrested for being close to Adhikari. BJP state president Dilip Ghosh stated that one would be punished if the guilt is proved. While reacting in this connection, Trinamool Congress state general secretary said that Adhikari should be immediately arrested in connection with the Narada sting case.

Not only the Manicktala police station but allegations of duping youths have also been lodged in different police stations across the state against Rakhal Bera.